Capacity Buyback Program

Qualification Criteria: - Organization Type: Open to Industrial, Commercial, and Institutional (ICI) customers located in the City of Toronto. - Audit Eligibility: Free water audits are available for industrial customers consuming up to 15,000 cubic metres annually (m³/yr), as well as all commercial and institutional customers. - Rebate Eligibility: One-time cash rebates are available for industrial customers consuming up to 5,000 m³/yr, and all commercial and institutional customers. - Permanence: Improvements must be permanent water-saving measures. - Verification: A professional engineer must conduct a walkthrough audit, and the City must perform a site visit after implementation to verify actual savings. Qualifying Projects: - Cooling Systems: Upgrades to cooling towers and refrigeration equipment to reduce water intensity. - Boiler Systems: Improvements to boiler efficiency or steam trap replacements that prevent water loss. - Food Service Equipment: Installation of water-efficient commercial dishwashers or steamers. - Process Equipment: Modifications to industrial machinery to include closed-loop water systems or reduced-flow valves. - Sustainability Systems: Implementation of greywater re-use or rainwater harvesting systems for non-potable needs. - Exclusions: Domestic fixtures (toilets/taps), irrigation systems, and rain barrels are not eligible for cash rebates. Additional Details: - The Incentive: The City pays a one-time cheque for up to $0.30 per litre of water saved per average day. - Long-term Value: In addition to the rebate, businesses save significantly on their ongoing utility bills (current 2025 water rates are $4.6872/m³). - Phased Implementation: Organizations do not need to implement all audit recommendations at once; they can submit a Notice of Completion after each individual measure is finished to receive partial rebates. - Process Flow: The process follows a specific sequence: Interest $\rightarrow$ Eligibility Confirmation $\rightarrow$ Engineer Audit $\rightarrow$ Report $\rightarrow$ Implementation $\rightarrow$ Verification $\rightarrow$ Payment. - Audit Benefit: Even if a business chooses not to implement the recommendations, the professional engineering audit is provided at no cost.